Avalanche Predicted to Sign 2-Time Stanley Cup Champion
The Colorado Avalanche were named as a potential landing spot for former Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks center/winger Tyler Johnson.
“A few years ago, Tyler Johnson—who won back-to-back championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021—would have been one of the hottest names in the early free-agent market,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox on July 14.
Soon after, he predicted that the right-handed veteran would sign with the Avs.
“Expect Johnson, who will turn 34 later this month, to eye potential playoff contenders for his next stop,” Knox said. “Coming off of a seven-year, $35 million contract, he may even be willing to take a team-friendly deal to do so.”
“The Colorado Avalance, who won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and haven’t missed the postseason since the 2016-17 season, would be an ideal landing spot for Johnson,” the Bleacher Report analyst went on. “Colorado could give him the chance to chase another championship, and if Johnson is willing to play on the cheap, he’d be a valuable depth piece for a team seeking another deep playoff run.”
Tyler Johnson Produced With Blackhawks Despite Horrid Plus/Minus
Knox noted that Johnson produced 53 points during the regular season — including eight postseason goals — during his final two years with the Lightning. Arguing that the forward has “disappeared from the spotlight since.”
But in all honesty, Johnson has still produced in Chicago over the past two seasons. The 2021-22 campaign was mostly lost to injuries, but Johnson posted a consistent 30-plus points in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
